The recently named interim dean of the College of Communication and Information has begun to set goals and address concerns of the CCI community before she begins her post.

AnnMarie LeBlanc, director of the School of Visual Communication Design, or VCD, was selected March 21 to serve as the interim dean of CCI. She has already  started making preparations for her tenure.

LeBlanc said she has plans to meet frequently with Wearden and other members of his staff before she begins serving as interim dean, to assure that the transition is a smooth one.

“I am meeting individually with each team member of the dean’s staff so I can learn from them as to how I may best be of service to them, and what the goals for their departments will be for the next eight to 12 months,” Leblanc said. “I will talk with the directors of each school, TeleProductions, IdeaBase and others to address any concerns they have and continuously ask for input from all of our stakeholders when any major decision has to be made.”

LeBlanc will succeed current dean Stanley Wearden, who recently announced that he would retire as the dean of CCI in order to pursue his new position as provost and senior vice president at Columbia College Chicago.

LeBlanc will begin serving as interim dean on July 1.

Provost Todd Diacon chose LeBlanc to fill this position.     

“We are very fortunate that Professor LeBlanc has agreed to serve in this important capacity,” Diacon said in a press release. “She brings a wealth of experience within the college combined with a keen knowledge of the important issues in higher education today.”

LeBlanc said she was humbled to have been selected to the position.

“I am honored that Provost Diacon asked me to serve in this role on an interim basis,” LeBlanc said.  “It is humbling to follow in Stan Wearden’s footsteps, but I know that together with the school directors, faculty and staff, we will not hesitate in accomplishing our many initiatives.”

LuEtt Hanson, the associate dean of CCI, said she believes LeBlanc was a great choice for interim dean.

“I believe she (LeBlanc) is very qualified,” Hanson said. “She has been the leader of VCD for several years and done that successfully, and she has also been a department chair and associate dean at other institutions, so she has a lot of leadership experience.”

LeBlanc has served as the director of VCD since 2007. Her areas of expertise include color theory and traditional and digital illustration.  

Sanda Katila, the associate director of VCD and an associate professor in the school, also said LeBlanc was the best choice for this position.

 “As someone who has been privileged to work in VCD for over 20 years, I feel confident in saying that AnnMarie is a visionary who supports civility, team building and knows how to work with the unique strengths of individuals,” Katila said.  “I am certain that under her leadership, CCI will continue to find creative and inspiring ways to thrive.”

Contact Nicholas Sewell at [email protected].